The Devil You Know
by Eric Neo Matrix
Summary: A oneshot spinoff of Sonic X: Dark Chaos. Tikal watched Chaos destroy her people, and now her spirit is trapped in the Master Emerald alone and lost, until she meets a mysterious stranger who just might be able to help her set things right.


Finally got the time to complete this. In case you're wondering, this is a semi-prequel/spinoff to _Sonic X: Dark Chaos_. I got the idea of incorporating Tikal the Echidna and her story from _Sonic Adventure_ into the Dark Chaos universe, so I decided to write this to connect them.

A quick warning that there is some implied mature content in this story, along with overly-pretentious philosophy that nobody cares about. It also does contain some spoilers for _Dark Chaos_.

No infringement intended.

...

 **The Devil You Know**

 _"In this life, Satan, but in another? We shall meet in another, surely?"_  
 _Then, all tranquilly and soberly, he made the strange answer, "There is no other."_

-Mark Twain _, The Mysterious Stranger_

Tikal was dead. Or at least, she _thought_ she was.

She saw it all herself. She watched Chaos, her friend and companion, destroy her civilization in fire and flood. She watched the power of the Master Emerald devour him. And she watched its power devour her as well, her body and soul melting before her eyes.

But she didn't expect this. She thought that she had been sealed inside the great green gem with Chaos... but this didn't look anything like she thought it would. The stuff of raw Chaos churned across the blank void, an endless expanse of color and light that made her brain burn. Though there was no floor or ground in such a strange place, she could still walk around just fine.

Her mortal mind failed to comprehend what was happening around her. Was she in Mictlan with the other damned souls of cowards and malcontents? Was she in the bowels of Hactlal, the eternal battlefield of Maledict the Blood God? Fear overcame her. If this was truly the afterlife, it seemed rather empty.

"Father?" She called out, "Chaos?"

No responses. Only the shrill, nightmarish echoes of the churning void filled her ears.

Then a whisper, as if carried on the wind, entered her ears.

"Do not be afraid."

She turned around to see where the sound came from, but nothing happened. The whisper pierced her ears again even louder this time.

"Do not be afraid."

A large burning bush floating in the churning expanse. Dark flames licked its branches and roots and leaves. However, the plant itself was still intact.

Unsure of what to make of it, Tikal stepped very slowly towards the bizarre sight, "Hello?"

As she moved closer, the fire not only filled her with pain... but also with courage and wisdom. She didn't know how to react, other than giving a disturbed gasp of surprise.

"Do not be afraid."

"Who are you? What is this?" She cried as she covered her eyes and backed away.

Then the burning bush parted like the wings of a dove. Flame and Chaos Energy coalesced into a form. Great terror washed over Tikal as the mass began to take form into a person.

"I am that I am. I am the god of your fathers and mothers. I am the roaring lion that prowls the stars, the prince of the powers of the air."

Him. _It_. Tikal didn't know any terms in her language to describe her sight. The raging inferno parted in two as the burning bush disintegrated. A tall humanoid figure shrouded in a black cloak rose from the flames. The figure was about nine feet tall, his legs reptilian and covered by glimmering gold-and-red armor plating. His visibly shriveled and charred six-fingered hands also poked from his satanic robes, covered with flames but not singed by them. Acrid streams of sulphur and smoke radiated from all about. But as the mysterious stranger looked down upon her, she saw that his head was... a black hedgehog? She had never seen a hedgehog in person before.

"Do not be afraid." The abnormal hedgehog being spoke. Power - raw power - immediately overwhelmed Tikal's senses. She fell to her knees on the spot.

"Who... Who are you? What's happening?" Tikal called out to the stranger.

"Blood to Blood, little one. I am Lord Maledict the Devil, Satan and God-Imperator of the Demon Empire," the figure spoke to her in near-flawless Echidnan dialect.

 _Blood to Blood_. The Codex of the Blood God. It didn't take Tikal long to understand that this wasn't a dream or fantasy.

"Lord Maledict..." She muttered in a unique mixture of awe and dumbstruck terror. "You... you _are_ real..."

"Yes, little one," the god said, "I thought that would be obvious."

She turned her face away, terror filling her mind. She did not revere the Blood God as her father and her fellow echidnas did. Had he come to damn her? Possess her? Torment her for eternity? Perhaps this was all a hallucination or a dying dream.

Then it dawned on her that it couldn't be a dream, because she couldn't wake up.

"But... If you're here... The other gods... Queztela? Mother Chalchiu?"

"Oh? Hnmm... About that. Unfortunately, your other idols are nothing but the... overactive imaginations of your tribe. Only I live true."

Tikal turned away. She didn't want to hear it. She didn't even want to _think_ about it. The thought that the gods themselves were nothing but lies, the thought that her devotion to the Great Mother and her way of peace had all been for naught. She struggled to put on a brave face and she struggled not to lose her mind completely from the revelation.

"So, my lord... um... If you're here, what is this all about? Come to think of it, how are you here?"

"Well, I'm not actually here," he corrected her, "This is just an avatar of me. Currently I'm in Caronius, the _kapitol_ of my empire, but spiritually I can project myself across the fabric of Warpspace whenever I desire."

"Warpspace?"

"That is where we are, yes," the Avatar of Satan nodded, "Or more specifically, a relativistic spacetime bubble inside Warpspace in the future existing in ten-dimensional string space, which prevents the quantum gravitational forces of raw Chaos Energy from erasing your soul from existence."

Tikal had no idea what he was talking about, and the god quickly realized that he wasn't speaking with a scientist.

"Oh, I suppose your kind... hasn't really discovered that yet," the god said, "In any case, the important thing is that you're safe here."

The young echidna didn't give much thought to that. There were far greater questions on her mind right now.

"So if you're the only god, and none of the other gods are real, then what about everything else in the world? Where did they all come from?"

"Your people call me the Blood God. They are right - in a sense," The dark spirit took a step to the side, "But it's not _entirely_ accurate. I'm far more than some brutish stick-waving monkey who needs to devour hearts to keep the stars moving. Everything you know, see, and feel are of my design. The material universe and all of its laws are in my control."

"I... I see..." She lowered her gaze, suddenly feeling unworthy of even speaking. She could barely comprehend the enormity of what the Blood God had revealed to her. "And you said this is the future? When?"

"About... oh, four thousand years, give or take a few centuries. In your years, of course. Time does not flow here as you understand it," Satan said, "And time doesn't flow for me."

 _Four thousand years?_ She had just watched Chaos annihilate her people _minutes_ ago.

"But I'm far more curious about you, Tikal."

A small tingle of nervousness went up her spine. "So you know my name."

"Of course. The Chaos Emeralds cried out to me when Chaos absorbed them," He said, "Little one, I have brought you here before me so that you may know my will. In short, I need your help."

"My help?" She looked away, unable to process what she heard, "How could I possibly help a god? I mean, my lord, I'm... I'm not a warrior or hero. Many of my people are-"

She took a large swallow, remembering the slaughter she had just witnessed before her final breath, "I mean, _were_ warriors. But I never was."

"The smallest cracks can shake the mightiest fortress," The god replied and turned away from her, "Come little one. I have something to show you."

Maledict waved his shriveled, dull-gray hand. The rainbow of Chaos Energy around them began shifting at his command, turning a deep jet-black.

"Go on," He said, "What do you see?"

"I see-"

Nearly all her breath left her in a gasp at the sight. Across the sea of blackness, stars and great multicolored clouds swirled and drifted, dust traveling on the winds of the void. Worlds beyond counting orbited their stars, innumerable moons floating with them. Her mind couldn't wrap around the sheer scale of it all, how so much lay outside the seemingly tiny confines of the Knuckles Clan.

Such beauty made her eyes start to water. Though the soothsayers and priests of the Knuckles Clan had imagined what was beyond their world, none of those tall tales came even close to this.

"What... what is all this?"

"That, little one," said the god, "is the universe. The nature of Creation itself. Everything that has ever existed and will exist."

"And you created all of that? You rule over all that?"

"Yes," Satan replied, "and much, much more. But keep looking. There's more to see."

Then her breath was taken away again as the image was consumed in fire and blood. She watched the stars turn to sackcloth, moons turned into clouds of rocks, planets burned to cinders and left to drift. She watch metal beasts larger than the sky clash, their strange weapons and blades and arrows devouring each other. She saw ships of gold and obsidian and silver and rusted metal tear apart worlds like tissues, the stars themselves burning and dying around them.

"What... what is going on now?"

"War. Endless, eternal, forever - war. And in the grim dark void, the only thing is war."

"I... I don't understand!" Her horrified voice cracked, "How did all this start? How did all this happen?

"It happens because that is what existence is; selfishness, cruelty, and want. That is why I must control it. Without me, well... You can see the results. There is no place for industry or culture. There is no place for knowledge, arts, letters - only the continual fear and danger of violent death. Without my control, life for all mortals is nasty, brutish, and short."

Tikal pondered his words in her heart.

"Your own people should've proven that to you, little one," Satan continued, "You saw it yourself, did you not? Your own people warred against the world under your father - and he only took power over the Knuckles Clan by murdering all of his rivals. And tell me, what has become of him and his people now?"

"Well, but-"

Satan's black eyes pierced into her soul like swords. "Answer the question."

"They're... they're gone now. But not everyone is selfish or cowardly or cruel!" Tikal rebutted, "There is peace and goodness in people everywhere. Even with my people!"

She covered her mouth in surprise. She had just yelled at the most powerful being in the universe. But Lord Maledict did not seem to mind.

"I never said that was the case, little one," Satan said, "But they _are_ insecure."

Tikal tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

"Because mortal life is insecure and trust cannot prevail, there's little chance of mortals sorting out misunderstandings peacefully. In the universe, so long as mortals worship gods, gods will rise up and make them miserable," Maledict turned, "Here, let me show you... something else. This might give a bit more perspective."

The image changed again.

Tyrants and demagogues from countless species, voices high and hatred emanating around them, whipped their crowds into frenzies. A cross, a strange seven-pointed star, and a crescent moon with alien writing flashed before her.

Then far worse things appeared before her. She witnessed poor aliens starving, worked to death and exploited by their corporate overlords. She witnessed children blowing themselves to pieces, sending their viscera and the gore of others flying every which way. She witnessed genocide on truly industrial scales, the destruction of all nonbelievers. She witness young children raped and left to die by the priests and ministers who controlled their lives.

Tikal shut her eyes tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Stop... Please stop... I can't take any more!"

Satan obliged, and the visions left her. "These are the enemies of me and my empire. They seek the destruction of my order and the order of Creation. They worship their own gods - their twisted, perverse leaders. And their leaders command them to molest children and blow themselves up in their name."

Something began to dawn on Tikal. "And... and what makes you different from them?"

Satan paused for a moment, and then smiled. "A very wise question, little one. And my answer is why I have brought you here. You are here because you can help me end this suffering and death."

"But how?" Tikal wondered aloud, "What could I do?"

Rather than answering her, the devil waved his hand through the pulsating void of Chaos Energy near him. A sphere of fire and brimstone began to form from it.

Peering into the infernal orb, Tikal could make out the shape clearer. A blue hedgehog.

"A hedgehog..." She muttered. She had heard of a wandering hedgehog tribe outside the echnida civilization's borders that often preyed on their caravans, but she had never seen one in person other than the Blood God himself.

"His name is Sonic the Hedgehog. He lives on your world today, long after your time. He is-" The Avatar of Maledict seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if he was unsure if he wanted to speak further, "He is my son."

Tikal looked back at him, "Your son?"

"From the day the stars were born, the Chaos Emeralds have been my gift to the universe. In them I poured my glory, my power, and my will to dominate all things. And they are the birthright of my children."

Tikal immediately caught onto the implication.

"Hold on... you have other children too?"

Maledict did not answer, and Tikal quickly realized that the god had no interest in saying more, so she didn't press him.

"So.. um, anyway, how does this Sonic fit into this?"

"Sonic is far more important to me, and to the entire universe, than even he understands. He doesn't know it now, but he is critical to the survival of all my subjects and my ultimate victory."

"I see," Tikal sheepishly lowered her gaze, "I can't say that I fully understand how, though."

"You don't need to. You have a part to play in the Great Game, as do all other living things."

"So you want me to help him?"

"Yes. Aid Sonic the Hedgehog in his journey. Show him who he truly is an the power he wields. Only through him can the future of the universe be righted... and only through him can your friend Chaos be saved."

Tikal didn't take long to decide. "Well, if it means saving my friend and bringing peace to the universe, then... then I'll do what you ask."

She never thought she'd be able to directly serve a god - let alone one she thought would despise her peaceful ways.

"I will make sure that you are able to return to realspace safely." The devil said, "Go now. Sonic and his friends await you as we speak."

Her body began disintegrating into orange light before her very eyes, though she did not feel any pain. Orange light blinded her and everything around her disappeared.

Whatever was about to happen, Tikal thought, she would do her very best to save Chaos and her world.

...

Tikal awoke back to where this all started. The world had been saved and Sonic the Hedgehog had claimed victory.

Chaos was nowhere to be seen, nor the Chao that had joined them. She remembered this place; Lord Maledict had summoned her. Although she had done as he asked, uncertainty still filled her heart as to what was coming next.

At first she did not see the Blood God anywhere, until the familiar spectacle of his Avatar began to form from the raw Chaos Energy around her.

"Lord Maledict..." She regained her sense, still a little unsteady from the power, "Did I... did I-"

The devil smiled upon her.

"You have done a great deed in my name, Tikal. Thanks to your efforts, Sonic the Hedgehog was able to stop a Chaotic creature and save millions. Without you, his efforts would've been in vain and Chaos would have become a threat to the universe. And you, well... you were able to save your friend."

Tikal shied away from the devil. "I'm, well... Thank you."

"You have pleased me, and your faith is great. But I I have another trial for you. Complete it and you shall be truly blessed by me."

Tikal had no idea what he meant by that phrase, but now that he had helped her save both Chaos and the world, she didn't want to refuse the commands of the devil after he had given her the chance to set things right.

"Okay. I'll, uh, do what you ask, my lord."

The devil smiled. "A wise choice. Then let us begin."

The fabric of space, time, and relativity began melting away around them. An infinite, sprawling desert now lay around both of them them.

"Are you... Where are we now? This-"

Before she could finish her sentence, a sudden void filled her belly, slowly beginning to emaciate her. Hunger, ravenous and consuming, took over her mind. She fell to her knees as starvation almost immediately crippled her body.

"What's... h-happening..." Tikal panted. She could barely get up to her feet before her legs gave out completely and she fell to the dusty ground. "Help... h-help me...!"

Satan stretched out his hand to a pile of seemingly ordinary stones lying on the ground nearby. "If you are worthy, command these stones to become bread. They shall feed you."

She didn't need to think twice. Tikal immediately pointed at the rocks. They promptly turned into the delicious corn bread - hot and fresh - that her grandmother used to make.

Her grandmother. The very memory of her made Tikal begin to tear up.

Then the corn bread disappeared as if it simply faded from existence. The echidna felt full like after eating a hearty meal, even though she had not taken a single bite.

She unsteadily rose to her feet in surprise. "How... how did..."

Before she could finish her thought, the power of Warspace shifted again. Tikal averted her eyes as the desert around them vanished into nothingness.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself standing atop the Temple of the Blood God in the old echidna capitol Knuchtitilan, hundreds of feet above the ground. She heard Satan appear next to her and he pointed downward to the ground below.

"If you are worthy, throw yourself down from here upon the steps of the temple. You shall be caught." said he.

Tikal nearly did a double take, "Wait, _what_?"

"Don't be afraid little one. You will not die."

She remembered what had happened before when she put her hand out and turned stones to bread. If Maledict was right about that, she figured, perhaps there was something far more to this. A test of her faith, like all the old echidna stories of mortals and gods that she used to read about.

"I-" She looked over the city and loudly gulped, "If... If you want me to."

She steeled herself and put her faith in the devil. Hesitatingly, she took a step forward, shutting her eyes as tightly as she could, and she dove off the great pyramid. Wind howled through her spines and wind buffeted her body.

Tikal didn't hit the ground. Opening her eyes, the city vanished from below her like the desert before. The stuff of raw Chaos Energy changed the landscape once again.

She could see the stars and planets and galaxies. All life in the universe and every kingdom in it. Her heart nearly burst from how awe-inspiring and overwhelming the sight was, even though she had already seen it.

The devil promptly revealed himself next to her once more.

"If you are worthy, look and see. Before you now are all of kingdoms of the universe. You can rule over this with me if you wish."

Tikal slowly turned to the devil, "Really?"

"Yes Tikal. All of this I will share with you... If you but bow down and accept me as your god."

Tikal meekly looked down. With everything that she had learned about her own history and people, she didn't know how to respond. Sure Maledict did prove His existence to her in person, and gave her the power to save the world and her friend Chaos.

"And if I do... Will I be with Chaos again? Will I be with my people again?"

The devil nodded.

Perhaps this was for the better. And if she could serve one of the gods of her people - the only one, apparently - she was willing to do it.

The young echidna bent the knee before Lord Maledict. She did not see it, but the devil smiled.

"Rise," he said, and Tikal immediately did as he commanded. "Your faith is truly great, Tikal. You have passed every test and trial that I have laid before you."

Tikal felt a wave of relief go through her. At least she hadn't done something wrong in front of a divine.

"There is only one more challenge that I ask of you. Complete it, and you shall know the true power of Chaos - and you will be reunited with your friends."

Like pulling a string of thread from a carpet, Maledict slowly plucked the energy from the shimmering, swirling expanse of Warpspace. A very familiar middle-aged echidna with a long white beard struggled against the devil's grasp.

Her father.

"Tikal? Is... is that you?" Pachacamac reached out distantly to her, but his ethereal hand simply passed through her body.

"Father..." Tikal nearly began to sob, "You're here too..."

"What is happening? What is going on? I-"

Then the echidna chief locked eyes with the devil.

"Blood God..." The echidna chief whimpered, "Lord Maledict, why am I here? I... _we_ have done nothing but honor and revere you for our whole existence! Did we not slaughter your enemies in your name? Did we not sacrifice their blood to you in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?"

Satan turned his face away from the elderly echidna. "I never knew you, Pachacamac."

The echidna leader recoiled back, his expression one of pure horror - the look of a person who had just discovered a terrible truth. His own god had abandoned him to his face. The devil ignored Pachacamac's anguish.

"This is your final test, Tikal," the devil turned to the younger echidna, "Pachacamac's soul is in my grasp, but there may still be a chance for him. His eternal fate is now your hands."

"I... What?"

"You must choose, Tikal."

She still didn't fully understand what he had asked, "Choose _what_?"

"Choose whether I devour his soul to rejuvenate my physical body or spare him, of course." Satan elaborated. "All you must do is say two words - 'I sacrifice'. Or, if you decide to spare him, then say so."

Tikal gasped in pure horror.

Pachacamac begged and fell to the ground in anguished tears. "My lord, please... We went to war for you! We... I..."

Satan looked down upon the lost spirit with great scorn. "How easily mortals falter. You see the true face of your father now?

The young echidna didn't know what to say, still stunned by the sight of her own father reduced to such misery - and stunned by what Maledict had asked her to do.

"Remember who destroyed your people, Tikal." Lord Maledict continued, "Remember who nearly decimated your world - not once, but _twice_."

Tikal collected her thoughts - and when she did, she knew that the Blood God was right. Anger and resentment began to fill her heart. The suffering that she and so many others had gone through could all be traced to him. He had even been willing to flat-out _a_ ttack her when she refused to submit. To have her father understand the pain that they suffered, that his own people suffered, that _she_ suffered - the temptation started to sound more and more appealing by the second.

The spirit of the echidna chief and the eyes of the Blood God met. A slow expression of horror crept across the bearded echidna's features. Then Tikal and her ghostly father locked eyes with each other.

"Tikal... Please... I was wrong... I was too aggressive... too stubborn to see... I only wanted to make sure my people who survive and thrive... I was a fool, such a fool..." He sputtered pathetically, "Don't do this..."

Tikal glared at him, instantly shutting him up.

"Mercy? You want mercy?" She said, her glare not faltering, "Did you show those Chao mercy when you butchered them on the steps of the Master Emerald Shrine?"

Pachacamac's jaw started to open agape.

"Did you show mercy to those you killed to take over our people? Did you show mercy to Grandmother? Did you show mercy to _ME,_ Father?" Tikal had never felt this angry or enraged in her entire young life, but now, at the end of it all, she couldn't stop her fury from boiling over.

"Tikal..."

"You know what? I should just let the Blood God take you! You're no father of mine! You've... You... _I sacri_ - _!_ "

The words died on her tongue as Tikal and Satan locked eyes. Neither of them blinked or wavered. And Tikal's gaze was frozen on the tiny, _tiny_ smile that had appeared on the Blood God's face.

Her anger rapidly began to cool. The realization of what was happening sent chills up her spine. This was exactly what he wanted, for Blood God was a god of rage, conflict, and disharmony.

This was another test. One that she couldn't complete.

He was still her father. He still raised her. And Grandmother would not have wanted this either. She did not want vengeance to consume her - not like it consumed her people. She swallowed loudly, knowing that the devil awaited her decision.

"No, Lord Maledict. I... I will not sacrifice."

The devil seemed to eye her carefully, as if he was surprised by her answer. Her father let out such a breath of terrified relief that he probably would've fainted if he wasn't a spirit.

Tikal's blood metaphorically turned to ice in her veins. She had no idea what her decision would bring.

Maledict smiled again. "You have chosen wisely."

Reaching his hand out, a bolt of red lightning snaked across Warpspace, latching onto Pachacamac with a terrible hiss. He screeched a truly horrific cry as his soul was blasted away back into the roiling depths of Warpspace.

An eerie red glow surrounded Tikal. A star inside of a circle made of pure Chaos Energy formed around her feet, the crimson light bathing her skin. Facsimiles of the Chaos Emeralds - their infinite satanic power made manifest - appeared around the pentagram. Tikal jerked backwards in surprise.

Satan spoke through them, the Master of the Emeralds unifying the Chaos within them.

 ** _"The Seven Emeralds are the Servers..."_**

The demonic whispers of the Chaos Emeralds speared through Tikal's mind like the blade of a dagger. She immediately fell to her knees in horror and sensual ecstasy.

 _ **"Chaos is Power... Power enriched by the Heart..."**_

The back of her right hand began searing with agony and Tikal screamed. Infinite power filled all of her senses. A yellow aura suddenly appeared around her and she felt her spines begin to tingle. Her feet left the ground as she began to levitate. Her apotheosis shifted the fabric of Warpspace around her into a kaleidoscope of energy.

 _ **"The Controller is the One that unifies the Chaos..."**_

Fire and sulphur slithered around her like serpents. She felt like jets of magma and brimstone were shooting from her eye sockets. Her nethers vibrated uncontrollably with climax after climax. Such excruciating pain and pleasure filled her that she felt her sanity begin to slip.

 ** _"The Master of the Emeralds wills it!"_**

Satan himself began to speak, his divine voice as great and terrible as thunder.

 _"Tikal the Echidna, your ascension is at hand! You shall never know death or pain again! Come forth, Tikal the Echidna! By the powers of Hell and the destiny of the Empire... by the death of the False Messiah and the dying of the stars... by the will of the Emeralds of Power and all the Zirs of the Demon people..."_

Her body exploded with energy that transformed her in both body and soul.

 _"I, Lord Maledict the Devil, hereby grant you the title of Ziress Tikal, Demon Princess of Diplomacy!"_

Tikal fell on her face, her body still twitched and shaking from the infernal power and energy coursing through her.

As she stood to her feet, she began scanning everything that had just happened to her body. The first thing she noticed was that she was noticeably taller than before, although nowhere near the nine-foot Maledict. Her arms had small red marks organized in a line down her elbows and the back of her arms. At first she thought it was makeup, until she touched one of them and realized that they were bones. Her skin had turned almost yellow-orange compared to her old orange coat.

Even her clothes had changed to a degree - far fancier than any piece of clothing she had ever worn in life. While she still wore the traditional garb she had on when she died, it had grown longer in length and width. Unknown hieroglyphics adorned the new additions. She also noticed gemstones of alien origin adorning the fabric.

The upside-down star symbol from had been branded on the back of her right hand. Tikal winced; it still burned to the touch.

She couldn't believe it. She felt rejuvenated. Alive. _Invincible_. She almost didn't notice Maledict opening his palm to her. A small obsidian amulet, inscribed with a bizarre goat-headed humanoid on a throne.

"I also hereby award you the Sigil of Baphomet," He said, "This is the highest imperial honour for non-military Demon citizens. Congratulations."

The medal floated through the air to her, placing itself around her neck.

"My lord..." She uttered, completely overwhelmed, "I... I don't know what to say... But how..?"

"This was a test of your character. All of my trials were, actually," the devil explained, "I wanted to see if you would understand the power of temptation and faith. And your wisdom proved that you do. And it shows the content of your faith and love for me that you passed all of my tests perfectly. The people of the Empire everywhere thank you for your service."

Tikal felt so humbled and flattered by his praise that she bowed to him on the spot.

With another wave of his hand, Maledict changed and shifted Warpspace around them once more. Tikal closed her eyes, the sensation and movement making her quite dizzy. However, before she knew it, she suddenly felt a very familiar feeling on her face; the warmth of sunlight.

She opened her eyes.

The Master Emerald Shrine, the entire city of Knuchtitlan - everything had been rebuilt, like Chaos had never gone berserk in the first place. She was home.

Tikal didn't know if she was going crazy or not. "Is this... Is this real? What is this?"

"Indeed, it's all real. This is your reward for your service to me," Satan told her, "I may have need of you again in the future... but for now, your spirit may rest. Go and be at peace."

Everything felt so, so real to her. Everything was exactly the way it was before. She couldn't believe it. Tears of joy quickly began welling up. Everything except...

"My lord, where is my father?"

"Do not worry Lady Tikal," Satan nodded to her, "He will return to you in time. But I have other needs for him first."

"I... I see." She didn't want to see or hear about her father for a long, long time anyway. Her mind turned back to the relief at being home once again. Then her heart nearly stopped when she saw who stood in front of the shrine - Chaos, flanked by his beloved Chao.

Tikal stepped forward, her knees shaking from joy. Chaos and the Chaos turned to her, the adorable little creatures beginning to chant a happy song to welcome her. Her heart and mind overflowed with happiness for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

Chaos slowly stepped forward to her. Tikal didn't waste a second - the moment she was in arm's reach, she pulled him to her in a great hug and started sobbing.

Then she remembered the divine one who did all of this for her. She turned to Satan, who stood behind her looking on with quiet interest.

"Lord Maledict," She bowed her eyes before the god's gaze. More overjoyed tears started to well up, "I don't know what to say or how to say this, especially to you, but... Thank you. Thank you for everything."

Satan smiled at her as his avatar began dissipating in a cloud of fiery Chaos Energy, with a very sinister hint. "Oh no Lady Tikal. Thank _you_."


End file.
